Why it works: Egg and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 33% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 50,580 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
French Omelet with Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the eggs
Beat the yolks of the eggs, add the water and seasoning.
Whip the whites to a stiff froth, mix lightly with the yolks.
Cook the omelet
Heat 1 oz. of butter in an omelet pan until boiling hot.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan, fry over a gentle fire.
Pass a heated salamander or coal-shovel over the top of the omelet.
When it has risen, scatter 1 oz. of grated cheese over it.
Let the omelet cook a little longer, fold over when the top is still creamy.
Serve immediately.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Egg + peppertop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together50,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Egg and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 50,580 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Whites trapped as a stiff froth give the omelet its light, risen structure.
- Butter (in the method)
- Fat in the hot pan keeps the omelet from sticking and adds richness.
- Grated cheese (in the method)
- Melts over the surface to add flavour and richness to the omelet.
The step that matters
Pass a heated salamander or coal-shovel over the top of the omelet. Eggs set quickly from the surface down, so the top must be heated to cook it through while keeping the centre creamy. Too little heat leaves the top runny, and too much dries and toughens the eggs.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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